1. Field of the Invention
Considerable time and expense is involved in various known methods for effective meat removal from crustacean shells. The meat from crabs such as bluecrabs and other crustaceans such as crayfish often is marketed as extracted from the shells of crustaceans and there have been many different apparatuses specifically designed for assisting in extracting meat shells and the shells of other crustaceans. Most apparatuses of this type are relatively complex, require adjustments according to the sizes of the crustaceans being handled to extract meat therefrom and operate in a substantially programmed manner which does not allow for operational variations according to the problems encountered to obtain substantially complete meat extraction from crustaceans of varying shapes and sizes.
While many of these previously known apparatuses are constructed to function on a substantially production line basis with only one or two operators required to properly feed crustaceans thereto, such production line apparatuses are not highly efficient in the removal of meat from the shells of crustaceans independent of excessive force being applied to the meat and such excessive force results in most of the extracted meat being broken up during the extraction process.
Accordingly, a need exists for a meat extractor for crustaceans which is simple in construction and inexpensive to produce as well as highly efficient in removing substantially all of the meat from within the shells of crustaceans and with the meat removed in a manner such that breaking up of the meat during the extracting process is maintained at a minimum.
2. Description of Related Art
Various different forms of apparatuses including some of the general structural and operational features of the instant invention and/or designed specifically for the extraction of meat from shell fish or crustaceans heretofore have been designed. Examples of these previously known devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,156,949; 3,962,752; 4,148,112; 4,202,076 and; 4,286,356.